World's most popular messaging service

03.05.2016 23:02

Millions of WhatsApp users are facing days without the service after a total ban has been ordered in Brazil.

According to a report from O Globo, the service will go offline across the country today and won't be available until Thursday.

The ban is due to WhatsApp's strict encryption policies which stops anyone from snooping on messages being sent between users.

Brazil's law enforcement wants to gain access to certain resident's messages, but can't – hence the ban.

Speaking about the ban a WhatsApp spokesman said: "After cooperating to the full extent of our ability with the local courts, we are disappointed a judge in Sergipe decided yet again to order the block of WhatsApp in Brazil,”

This isn't the first time WhatsApp has faced a ban, in December a similar order was issued for a 48-hour blackout.

The Facebook owned firm recently just announced that all messages sent via the service will be end-to-end encrypted.

This means when you send a message, the only person who can read it is the person or group chat that you send that message to.

"No one can see inside that message. Not cybercriminals. Not hackers. Not oppressive regimes. Not even us." reads a statement on the company's blog.

Although the end-to-end encryption may sound like good news for WhatsApp fans it's clearly proving unpopular with many governments.

Last year David Cameron announced plans to block apps that allowed end-to-end encryption warning: "In our country, do we want to allow a means of communication between people which we cannot read?”

"My answer to that question is no we must not."

"If I am Prime Minister, I will make sure it is a comprehensive piece of legislation that makes sure we do not allow terrorist safe spaces to communicate with each other."

(dailystar.co.uk)

www.ann.az

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